Flagstaff student faces charges after school threat seen on Snapchat

A Flagstaff middle-school student faces charges in connection with a threat against a school that was sent on Snapchat, officials said.

Flagstaff police were notified of a threat aimed at a middle school Thursday shortly before 11 a.m., according to a joint statement from police and the Flagstaff Unified School District.

The boy is suspected of sending the threat to a friend via Snapchat, a popular social-media platform, threatening to "shoot up'' the school, the statement said.

Police began notifying area schools about the threat as they continued investigating, but eventually learned the boy was a student at Mount Elden Middle School, the statement said.

The suspect was in class when investigators contacted the school, and was contacted while other schools still were being notified of the threat, officials said. A few area schools briefly went into what was described as "lockout'' status, the statement said.

Schools often distinguish between a "lockout'' and "lockdown,'' with a lockout meaning a threat is outside the school, Doors are locked, but school activities continue as usual.

Investigators interrogated the student and learned that he had no access to firearms, the statement said.

Police also searched through the students' personal property and K-9 units were used to thoroughly search the school campus, police said.

The boy was released to one of his parents after he was questioned. The statement said the boy is facing charges, but did not specify what those are.